Epworth Sleepiness Scale Calculator

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a short self-assessment developed by Dr Murray Johns in 1990 at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne, and it remains the standard sleepiness questionnaire worldwide. NHS sleep services routinely give it to every new patient referred with suspected sleep problems and repeat it after treatment to measure improvement.

Rather than asking how tired you feel, it measures your actual chance of dozing off during normal daily life, which turns a vague feeling into a number a doctor can act on. It takes 2 to 3 minutes.

This tool is for information only. It cannot diagnose a sleep disorder, so share your score with a GP if it concerns you.

The 8 Situations to Score

For each situation, rate your chance of dozing off or falling asleep in recent times, not just feeling tired:

1. Sitting and reading
2. Watching TV
3. Sitting inactive in a public place, such as a theatre or meeting
4. As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break
5. Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances allow
6. Sitting and talking to someone
7. Sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol
8. In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic

Score each from 0 to 3: 0 would never doze, 1 slight chance, 2 moderate chance, 3 high chance. If you have not done an activity recently, estimate how it would affect you. Answer every question, because the scale is only valid when all eight are scored.

What Your Score Means

Add the eight answers for a total between 0 and 24:

A score of 11 or above generally indicates excessive daytime sleepiness and is worth discussing with your GP. It does not tell you why you are sleepy. Common causes include obstructive sleep apnoea, insomnia, narcolepsy, an underactive thyroid, some medications and plain insufficient sleep. Your GP may refer you to an NHS sleep clinic where the score helps decide whether a sleep study is needed.

A low score does not always mean all is well either. People with insomnia can score low because they struggle to sleep anywhere, day or night, yet still feel exhausted. If you want to check how much sleep you are losing over time, use our Sleep Debt Calculator or plan standard schedules with the Sleep Time Calculator.

Sleepiness and Driving: The UK Rules

This part matters legally. If excessive sleepiness affects your ability to drive safely, you must tell the DVLA, and drivers diagnosed with conditions such as obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome must stop driving until symptoms are controlled. Failing to declare a notifiable condition can mean a fine of up to £1,000 and invalidated insurance. Question 8 on the scale—dozing while stopped in traffic—exists precisely because sleepiness at the wheel is one of the biggest risks the test screens for.

Retaking the Test

The ESS is designed to be repeated. Sleep clinics use it before and after treatments such as CPAP therapy for sleep apnoea, where scores typically fall meaningfully once treatment works. Retesting every few weeks during any change to your sleep routine, medication or treatment gives you and your doctor a simple trend line.